Insurgency in Bahrain explained

Conflict:	Insurgency in Bahrain
Partof:	Bahraini uprising of 2011 and the Iran–Saudi Arabia proxy conflict
Date:	14 February 2011 – present
Place:	Bahrain
Status:	Ongoing
Combatant1:	Bahrain Supported by: Saudi Arabia United Arab Emirates
Combatant2:	Bahraini opposition Supported by:
Commander1:	Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa
Commander2:	Hasan Yusuf^[1]
Units1:	Public Security Forces Ministry of Interior Bahrain Defence Force
Units2:	Al-Ashtar Brigades Waad Allah Brigades al-Mukhtar Brigades Saraya Thair Allah Popular Resistance Brigades February 14 Youth Coalition Saraya al Karar^[2] Asa’ib al-Muqawama al-Bahrainia^[3] Imam al-Mahdi Brigades al-Haydariyah Brigades
Casualties1:	22 deaths and more than 3,500 injuries to policemen since 2011^[4]
Casualties2:	Unknown

The insurgency in Bahrain is an ongoing insurgency by militant groups, part of the Bahraini Opposition, supported by Iran, to topple government of Bahrain.

Timeline

2011

• The insurgency began in 2011, with the start of the Bahraini uprising of 2011.^[5]

2012

• On 10 April 2012, a bomb attack injured seven policemen in Akr.^[6]
• On 5 November 2012, at least five homemade bombs exploded in the nation's capital, killing 2 Asian workers and injuring another.^[7]

2013

• On 12 July 2013, a home-made bomb wounded Bahraini policemen outside the Shiite village, according to the interior ministry. State-media claimed it was "planted by terrorists" near the capital, Manama.^[8]

2014

• On 15 February 2014, one policeman was killed in a bombing.^[9]
• On 3 March 2014, three policeman were killed in a bombing by Al-Ashtar Brigades, including an Emirati officer, in the 2014 Daih bombing.^{[10] [11]}
• On 19 April 2014, two men were killed and another injured after their car exploded. They were suspected to be militants transporting explosives.^[12]
• On 5 July 2014, policeman Mahmud Farid was killed in a bombing in Eker village.^[13]

2015

• On 28 July 2015, a bomb killed two policemen and wounded six in Sitra in the 2015 Sitra bombing.^[14]

2016

• On 30 June 2016, 1 person was killed and 3 injured after a roadside bombing. 2 people were arrested who were suspected of planting the bomb. Bahrain accused Iran's Revolutionary Guards for being behind the bombing, although this is only an accusation, and does not rule out the possibility of terrorism. U.S. Vice President Joe Biden expressed his concerns after the attack.^[15] The bombing was described as a "terrorist bombing".^[16]
• On 1 July 2016, one woman was killed and three children injured in a bombing.^[17]

2017

• On 1 January 2017, one policeman was killed and a second injured in a jailbreak conducted by four-six armed men at Jaww prison. 10 inmates convicted of terrorist offenses escaped.^{[18] [19]}
• On 15 January 2017, three militants (Abbas al-Samea, Sami Mushaima and Ali al-Singace) were executed for the 3 March 2014 bombing.^[20]
• On 29 January 2017, a police officer in Bahrain was shot dead in an attack claimed by a Shi'ite militant group.^[21]
• On 18 June 2017, a member of the security forces was killed and two others were wounded after a bombing in Diraz.^[22]
• On 19 June, a Shia militant accidentally blew himself up with an improvised explosive device.^[23]
• In June 2017, Saraya al-Mukhtar performs a cyberattack on a former government official's Twitter account.^[24]
• On 2 October 2017, five policemen were injured in a bombing in the village of Daih on Budaiya road.^[25]
• On 27 October 2017, one policeman was killed and eight wounded in a bombing of a bus near the Jidhafs area.^[26]
• On 10 November 2017, a bomb caused a fire at Bahrain's main pipeline near Buri village.^[24]

2018

• On 7 February 2018, four members of the cell behind the bomb attack on the oil pipeline were arrested.^[27]
• On 3 March 2018, 116 militants who were part of cells established by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were arrested.^[28]

2019

• On 27 July 2019, two alleged militants were executed by the state on charges of terrorism. Both were allegedly involved in the January 1, 2017 killing of a prison guard that helped let 10 detainees escape, as well as the for the killings of two other police officers that month. The two were arrested in February 2017.^[29]

2020

• On 15 December 2020, the United States Treasury added the Saraya Al-Mukhtar (aka. Bahraini Islamic Resistance, aka. Al-Mukhtar Brigades, etc.) to the Specially Designated Nationals list, subjecting it to economic sanctions imposed by the United States. The sanctions were imposed due to their connections with Iran.^{[30] [31]}

2021

• In November the Bahraini government says it has foiled an attempted attack by insurgents.^[32]

2024

• 27 April: Al-Ashtar Brigades conducted a drone attack against the offices of an Israeli company in Eilat. ^[33]
• 2 May: Al-Ashtar Brigades conducted a drone attack against Eilat's port on 2 May.^[34]

Notes and References

1. Web site: US designates Iran-backed Bahrainis as terrorists - FDD's Long War Journal. 21 March 2017. 11 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180914133959/https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2017/03/us-designates-iran-backed-bahrainis-for-terrorism.php. 14 September 2018. live. dmy-all.
2. Web site: Illini Journal of International Security » Iranian-backed terror groups in Bahrain: Part One . 2018-10-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181029152030/https://publish.illinois.edu/illinijournalofinternationalsecurity/blog/blogs-spring-2017/iranian-backed-terror-groups-in-bahrain-part-one/ . 2018-10-29 . live .
3. Web site: Hizballah Cavalcade: Asa'ib al-Muqawama al-Bahrainia: An Emerging Militant Group in Bahrain? . 2018-10-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181029112402/https://jihadology.net/2014/04/18/hizballah-cavalcade-asaib-al-muqawama-al-bahrainia-an-emerging-militant-group-in-bahrain/ . 2018-10-29 . live .
4. News: In Bahrain, a smoldering insurgency reveals the resilience of Iran's proxy war . en-US . Washington Post . 2022-05-11 . 0190-8286. Maj. Gen. Tariq al-Hassan, Bahrain’s chief of public security, said that groups such as al-Ashtar Brigades and al-Mukhtar Brigades were responsible for 22 deaths and more than 3,500 injuries to policemen since 2011. The death toll is relatively low for an insurgency, but it represents a significant problem in a country of just 1.4 million people..
5. News: In Bahrain, a smoldering insurgency reveals the resilience of Iran's proxy war. Washington Post. 11 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180925153814/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/in-bahrain-a-smoldering-insurgency-reveals-the-resilience-of-irans-proxy-war/2018/05/17/f107d684-4c7f-11e8-84a0-458a1aa9ac0a_story.html. 25 September 2018. live. dmy-all.
6. News: Bahrain police injured in bomb attack. BBC News. 10 April 2012. 26 May 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180923092337/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-17663642. 23 September 2018. live. dmy-all.
7. News: Five bomb blasts hit Bahrain capital, two workers killed. Trust. 5 November 2012. 26 May 2018. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130313094333/http://www.trust.org/alertnet/news/five-bomb-blasts-hit-bahrain-capital-two-workers-killed. 13 March 2013.
8. News: Bomb wounds four Bahrain policemen: ministry. Fox News. 14 July 2013. 26 May 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20130722211950/http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/07/14/bomb-wounds-four-bahrain-policemen-ministry/. 22 July 2013. live. dmy-all.
9. Web site: Blast kills Bahrain policeman during uprising protests. migration. 15 February 2014. 11 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180706075749/https://www.straitstimes.com/world/blast-kills-bahrain-policeman-during-uprising-protests. 6 July 2018. live. dmy-all.
10. News: Bomb blast kills Bahrain policemen. BBC News . 3 March 2014. 11 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180923092231/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-26421744. 23 September 2018. live. dmy-all.
11. Web site: The Evolution of Shi'a Insurgency in Bahrain . 24 January 2018 .
12. News: Car blast kills two in Bahrain. BBC News . 19 April 2014. 11 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180912005413/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-27086763. 12 September 2018. live. dmy-all.
13. Web site: Bahrain police officer killed in 'terrorist' bombing. english.alarabiya.net. 5 July 2014 . 11 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180706075637/http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2014/07/05/Bahrain-police-officer-killed-in-terrorist-bombing.html. 6 July 2018. live. dmy-all.
14. News: Bomb kills two policemen in worst Bahrain bombing in months. Reuters. Editorial. Reuters . 28 July 2015 . 11 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180912021906/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bahrain-security-blast/bomb-kills-two-policemen-in-worst-bahrain-bombing-in-months-idUSKCN0Q20HJ20150728. 12 September 2018. live. dmy-all.
15. Web site: Bahrain makes arrests over bombing that killed woman, blames Iran . . 2016-07-12 . 2016-09-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180615190626/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bahrain-security-arrests-idUSKCN0ZS2O6?feedType=RSS&feedName=Iran&virtualBrandChannel=10209 . 2018-06-15 . live .
16. Web site: Bahraini woman dies and three children are hurt in bomb blast south of Manama | The National . Thenational.ae . 2016-09-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160906204025/http://www.thenational.ae/world/middle-east/bahraini-woman-dies-and-three-children-are-hurt-in-bomb-blast-south-of-manama . 2016-09-06 . live .
17. Web site: Bahraini woman killed in roadside bomb attack. www.aljazeera.com. 11 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180801090453/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/07/bahraini-woman-killed-roadside-bomb-attack-160701042043328.html. 1 August 2018. live. dmy-all.
18. News: 'Terrorists' freed in Bahrain prison raid. BBC News . 11 September 2018. 11 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180912005418/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-38483978. 12 September 2018. live. dmy-all.
19. Web site: KUNA : Policeman killed in attack on Bahrain prison - Security - 01/01/2017 . 2022-05-19 . www.kuna.net.kw.
20. News: Bahrain carries out rare executions. BBC News . 11 September 2018. 11 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180912033435/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-38627679. 12 September 2018. live. dmy-all.
21. Web site: Bahrain Police Officer Killed in Attack Claimed by Militants. ABC News. 29 January 2017. 31 January 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170129134327/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/bahrain-police-officer-killed-attack-claimed-militants-45122722. 29 January 2017. live. dmy-all.
22. Web site: Bahrain: Explosion kills policeman, wounds two in Diraz. www.aljazeera.com. 11 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180801123059/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/06/bahrain-explosion-kills-policeman-wounds-diraz-170618232654417.html. 1 August 2018. live. dmy-all.
23. Web site: Country Reports on Terrorism 2017. state.gov. 2 December 2023.
24. Web site: Bahrain-Iran Foreign Relations: A Brief Case Study - Analysis - Eurasia Review . 10 December 2021 . 2022-05-10 . en-US.
25. News: Explosion wounds five Bahraini policemen: agency. Reuters. Editorial. Reuters . 2 October 2017 . 11 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180912021920/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bahrain-security/explosion-wounds-five-bahraini-policemen-agency-idUSKCN1C72JE. 12 September 2018. live. dmy-all.
26. News: Bomb attack kills one Bahraini policeman, wounds eight. Reuters. Editorial. Reuters . 27 October 2017 . 11 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180928225113/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bahrain-security-attacks/bomb-attack-kills-one-bahraini-policeman-wounds-eight-idUSKBN1CW2EU. 28 September 2018. live. dmy-all.
27. News: Bahrain arrests four linked to pipeline blast: ministry. Reuters. Editorial. Reuters . 7 February 2018 . 11 September 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180912021926/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-bahrain-oil-pipeline-saudi/bahrain-arrests-four-linked-to-pipeline-blast-ministry-idUSKBN1FR2HO. 12 September 2018. live. dmy-all.
28. Web site: Bahraini raids arrest over 100 members of alleged Iranian-backed network | FDD's Long War Journal . 7 March 2018 . 2018-05-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180519204331/https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2018/03/bahraini-raids-arrest-over-100-members-of-alleged-iranian-backed-network.php . 2018-05-19 . live .
29. Web site: Bahrain executes 2 in 'terror' case despite rights groups' pleas. Al Jazeera. 27 July 2019. 11 August 2019.
30. Web site: Counter Terrorism Designation. U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY. 15 December 2020. 15 December 2020.
31. Web site: What Is Bahrain's Saraya al-Mukhtar Militia? . 2022-05-10 . VOA . en.
32. Web site: Bahrain says it foiled planned attack, arrests suspects . 2022-05-10 . www.aljazeera.com . en.
33. News: Iran's axis of resistance claims new front against Israel.
34. News: Bahraini resistance group claims drone attack on Israeli port.